I speak to our customers on a regular basis. One in particular has been buying our ice shoe cleats for years. Despite their purchase, they’ve still had a few slip and fall accidents on the ice and snow and are frustrated. After the accident investigations, they realized each incident had the same the root cause: None of the employees who fell were wearing the ice cleats and winter traction aids that were being provided.

In recent years, the ice cleat and winter traction aid market has expanded a great deal. In fact, you might say it’s overwhelming. If you don’t want to spend the next 15 years of your life doing all the research necessary on how to prevent winter slip and fall incidents, the good news is, I’ve done that research for you. And now, I’d like to share some tips to help you simplify the options you have available in the marketplace. So, what are the two most important types of traction aids:

Customers have so many choices when it comes to ice cleats and traction aids to prevent winter slips and falls. Sometimes these devices look similar. And sometimes they look radically different. But most of them have at least one very important thing in common: By far, the safest winter traction aids on the market are devices that offer traction in both the heel and toe of the device. As you walk, your heel hits the ground first, so additional ice and snow boot traction aids are needed. Following that, your foot rolls forward and your toe hits the ground. Without traction in both the heel and […]

Have you ever asked your employees for their feedback on the traction aids and ice cleats that you buy for them? If you have never done this, you are missing out on some very important information. This is one of the most critical and most often forgotten ways to increase employee buy-in. You will learn what is working well – and what is not – with the current ice cleats you provide to reduce winter slips and falls. Additionally, you will be building morale and reinforcing the notion that you care about employee safety.

I know a safety coordinator at a large Canadian company. The conversation I had with him one winter stuck with me. When we spoke, he was in no mood to discuss the use of an ice cleat or other winter traction aids. He admitted that he was sick of winter, in general, and sick of hearing about ice cleats, in particular. He was tired of having to “deal” with them all the time. Does this sound familiar to you? Here’s the interesting thing about what I do for a living: If you choose to ignore the problem of winter slip and falls on ice and snow, you’re in luck because eventually the weather will cha[…]

I have young kids at home. Every night, they eat dinner. Sometimes they eat their dinner early and sometimes it’s late. But every night they eat. So what would happen if I waited until they were starving to feed them. And at that point I said, “Okay, just spot me a few hours. I have to go to the market, buy some ingredients, come home, look up a recipe and then cook you dinner. Sound good, kids?” Just the thought of the ensuing tantrums is enough to ensure that this scenario never unfolds in my home.